I. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to bodies for refuse pick-up trucks, and more particularly, to an improved refuse compactor body of the front-loading type incorporating a plurality of air escape vents for increasing the loading capacity of refuse therein.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Refuse pick-up trucks commonly include a truck chassis fitted with a truck body that is specifically designed for receiving, compacting and discharging refuse materials. One well known custom-made truck body includes a refuse container reservoir accessible for loading refuse at the front and discharging refuse from the rear of the truck. This system includes a hydraulic compacting mechanism which repeatedly compacts the refuse after each loading. This compacting process advances the loaded refuse rearwardly in the truck body toward the rear end thus filling the available volume. The forward wall also forms part of a cylinder-operated ejection mechanism which moves aft to expel the contents of the refuse container reservoir during ejection.
One principle draw back of these prior art refuse pick-up trucks is that during the loading process the contained refuse will eventually extend or bulge upwardly within the refuse container reservoir and meet the top panel of the truck body. The contained refuse essentially forms a laterally extending wave within the reservoir, wherein the crest of this refuse wave creates an air tight seal with the top panel of the refuse container. Air disposed between the laterally extending wave crest and the container forward wall becomes trapped therebetween, inhibiting storage of refuse in this void or air pocket. Typical refuse hauling trucks of this type have large and elongated refuse reservoirs. Thus, several crests and troughs can be formed by the refuse with the air pockets being defined between the crests. The several air pockets which are formed occupy valuable refuse storage space which could otherwise be comprised of refuse, the air pockets sometimes occupying up to 5% of the container volume.
Accordingly, an improved refuse hauling truck which inhibits the formation of refuse crests and troughs and resulting air pockets in refuse hauling trucks is desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,500 to Knapp discloses a refuse container adapted to hold a poly bag and a manually actuated platen having a pattern of holes in it used to compress paper, garbage and other refuse within the bag lining the container. Holes are provided in the platen such that air can escape through the holes allowing better compaction. However, there is no teaching or suggestion of incorporating vents in the roof panel of a rear-loading refuse hauling truck to solve the particular problem of eliminating refuse crests and troughs to thereby permit a truck to haul a greater pay load.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,457 to Campo teaches a chamber in which biodegradable refuse is loaded and allowed to decompose. Vents are provided for allowing the escape of biogases created in the decomposition process. There is no discussion of using air vents to relieve trapped air from a compaction chamber.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,807,294 and 3,948,163 to Ligh both depict and describe a stationary compactor or baler having a compaction chamber through which a hydraulic ram driven platen is used to compress refuse deposited therein. A grate is formed in the lateral compactor wall to allow liquid contained in the garbage or refuse to drain out as the refuse is squeezed. There is no teaching or suggestion to a person skilled in the art of designing refuse hauling vehicles of incorporating vents in an upper wall to alleviate the formation of refuse crests and troughs to thereby allow a greater volume of refuse to be hauled.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,532,947 to Russell describes a baler having a plunger adapted to move through a compaction chamber to compress refuse. Vent holes are formed in a lateral wall of the compaction chamber to permit entrained air to escape as the plunger compresses the refuse in the downward direction. There is no discussion provided therein of how a wave pattern is created in a rear-loading type compactor if no vents are used, nor is there any teaching or discussion of a refuse hauling truck.